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Whether you're traveling to faraway destination through a road trip, or just trying to figure out how long it will take to reach an unfamiliar location, sometimes it's a good idea to estimate your driving time before you go. Looking at a number of common traveling factors and coming up with an accurate assessment of your driving time allow you to plan you arrival activities with greater confidence and make the most out of your travel time.

Step 1

Determine the route you will be driving based on your own personal preferences in distance, type of driving (highway vs. in-town), geography, and any stops or detours you plan to make.

Step 2

Estimate the number of miles for your trip according to the route you'll be taking. A map with a distance key can give you a rough guess; measure the inches (the most accurate way to do this is to use a piece of string) and multiply using the key, which will tell you how many miles each inch represents. Or, you can use a map site such as Mapquest or Google Maps. These services will automatically suggest a route for you, so if the route you want to use is different, re-create it by entering it as a series of smaller, partial routes and adding the number of miles.

Step 3

Calculate a rough estimate of the ideal driving time. For highway driving, a rough guess of about a mile per minute, plus a few extra minutes per 60 miles or so, is usually a good guess. Driving through towns and cities can be highly variable based on traffic and local geography, but you can count on it being much slower, usually about 2-4 minutes per mile.

Step 4

Add time to your trip for any planned stops. How long you add depends on your habits and preferences when stopping. If you like to eat on the run and only stop long enough to get gas, you will only need to add about 5-10 minutes for each of these stops you plan. If you plan to sit down for any meals, add 30 minutes to an hour for each.

Step 5

Identify any additional factors that are likely to cause delays in your trip. This can include any bad weather, road construction, or common high-traffic times you know you're likely to experience.

Step 6

Give yourself a margin for error. Even if you don't know of any likely delaying factors, chances are you will encounter some. You may also find that your trip goes more quickly than you expected. Make sure that you plan so that you can safely arrive at your destination a little earlier or later than your estimated driving time would bring you there.

About the Author

Lauren Vork has been a writer for 20 years, writing both fiction and nonfiction. Her work has appeared in "The Lovelorn" online magazine and thecvstore.net. Vork holds a bachelor's degree in music performance from St. Olaf College.